Apparatus for mounting a face shield onto a rigid hat

ABSTRACT

A face shield for removable installation on a rigid hat or safety helmet. Mounting apparatus that is self-contained on the face shield and that is formed by one or more resilient clips in combination with a pair of mounting studs that are positioned on the face shield for engagement into chin strap holes present in safety helmets.

United States Patent Raschke [54] APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING A FACE SHIELD ONTO A RIGID HAT [72] Inventor: Herbert A. Raschke, Greenbrae,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: E. D. Bullard Company, Saualito,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Oct. 7, 1968 [2l] Appl. No.: 765,602

[52] US. Cl ..2/10 [51] Int. Cl. ..A6lf 9/04 [58] Field of Search ..2/10, l2, 14 B, 3 R, 4, 7

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Aebersold et al ..2/10

[ 1 Aug. 22, 1972 3,350,718 11/1967 Wbb ..2/3 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 102,431 1 l/l937 Australia ..2/3 R 142,240 5/1920 Great Britain ..2/10 176,643 5/1922 Great Britain ..2/10

Pn'mary Examiner--H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Townsend and Townsend ABSI'RACT A face shield for removable installation on a rigid hat or safety helmet. Mounting apparatus that is self-contained on the face shield and that is formed by one or more resilient clips in combination with a pair of mounting studs that are positioned on the face shield for engagement into chin strap holes present in safety helmets.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing figures APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING A FACE SHIELD ONTO A RIGID HAT This invention relates to apparatus for mounting a face shield onto a rigid hat or safety helmet, and more particularly, it relates to such apparatus that is formed as a permanent part of the face shield.

The present invention provides a face protective shield that fosters safety in that the shield is inexpensive, it is simple to install onto a hat, and it contains no loose parts such as are liable to be mislaid. The invention exploits the presence of chin strap holes that are provided in the side or temple portions of most existing rigid hats and safety helmets. In accordance with the present invention, a semi-rigid transparent face shield has at the extremities thereon mounting studs, such as male snap members, engageable into the chin strap holes; the semi-rigid transparent sheet is so shaped so that when the snap members are engaged in the holes, the mid-portion of the transparent shield is disposed in front of the face of the wearer of the hat.

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after referring to the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a cap on which is installed by means of apparatus of the invention a transparent eye protective shield;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the subject matter of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a detail view at enlarged scale of a male snap member in engagement in the chin strap hole in a hat.

For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a rigid hat 12 that is of the type disclosed in US. Pat. No. D205,652; the invention is not limited to such specific hat. Such hat includes a visor 14 that extends forwardly thereof and a rim 16 that defines a generally oval shaped opening of the hat into which the head fits. Adjacent the rim and in approximate alignment with the temples of the wearer of the hat there are formed openings 18 which are normally used for securing to the hat 12 a chin strap for holding the cap in place in environments where the wearer must work in a bent-over position or other position in which the hat has a tendency to fall from the wearers head.

According to the present invention, the shield 20 has a pair of resilient steel clips 22 that are permanently fastened to the face shield by means of fasteners such as rivets 24, and which fasten the mid-portion of the face shield to the visor 14. It will be noted from FIG. 1 that the construction of the mounting clip 22 is such as to define upper and lower arms that define an elongate slot forward of the outer surface of the visor which permits the face shield to be mounted underneath the visor, thereby preventing entry of falling objects behind the mid-portion of the face shield. Extending rearwardly from the mid-portion of the face shield 20 are a right portion 20R and a left portion 20L, which extend rearwardly along the sides of the wearers head and beyond chin strap holes 18. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the rearwardly extending portions have an upwardly projecting section that carries thereon an outward ex tending mounting stud exemplified by a male snap member 26. Snap member 26 is a conventional device, and is secured onto transparent sheet 20 by a conventional flanged part 28 that is complemental with the snap member. The material of which shield 20 is formed, such as transparent plastic or fine mesh screen, has a degree of resilience that tends to urge the shield to a flat position even after the shield is in place on hat 12 with the upwardly projecting section of the shield on which studs 26 are mounted being on the inside of the hat. This arrangement biases the snap members 26 into the respective chin strap holes 18 from the inside of the hat toward the outside of the hat and thereby assists in retaining the face shield in place.

The face shield is installed onto hat 12 by first engaging clips 22 onto the visor 14 in a position shown in FIG. 2. The end portions 20R and 20L of the face shield are then brought around to the sides of the helmet so that snap members 26 can be engaged in the chin strap holes. Because the material of which face shield 20 is formed is somewhat flexible, and because the length of the slots defined by clips 22 is sufficient to permit movement between the face shield and hat 12, the shield can be positioned so as to bring the snap members into alignment with the chin strap holes. To remove the face shield, the procedure described next above is carried out in reverse order.

Thus it will be seen that the present invention provides a face shield that requires no modification of a safety helmet for installation thereon and which requires no additional brackets or small parts that are liable to loss. A face shield according to the present in vention can be quickly installed onto a safety hat, as a consequence of which use of the device is encouraged.

Although one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. Apparatus for attaching a face shield to a rigid hat of the type that has a rigid visor projecting from the front thereof, and right and left chin strap holes formed in the respective sides of the hat rearwardly of the visor and adjacent the rim, said apparatus comprising means attached to the face shield for removably securing the mid-portion of the shield underneath and adjacent the front edge of the visor so that the end portions extend rearwardly of the visor along the respective sides of the hat, and right and left mounting studs fixedly attached to and projecting outward from end portions of the face shield so that said studs can pass through respective chin strap holes from the inside of the hat to the outside of the hat, said mounting studs being sized with respect to the diameter of the chin strap holes so that the mounting studs engage the walls of the holes when passed therethrough, said mid-portion securing means defining an elongate slot in which the hat visor is received so as to afford a degree of longitudinal movement of said face shield relative said hat in order to position said studs in alignment with respective said chin strap holes.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said face shield is formed of material that possesses resilience and tends to assume a flat position so that the resilience biases said mounting studs into the respective chin strap holes.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said mounting studs are formed by male snap fasteners. 

1. Apparatus for attaching a face shield to a rigid hat of the type that has a rigid visor projecting from the front thereof, and right and left chin strap holes formed in the respective sides of the hat rearwardly of the visor and adjacent the rim, said apparatus comprising means attached to the face shield for removably securing the mid-portion of the shield underneath and adjacent the front edge of the visor so that the end portions extend rearwardly of the visor along the respective sides of the hat, and right and left mounting studs fixedly attached to and projecting outward from end portions of the face shield so that said studs can pass through respective chin strap holes from the inside of the hat to the outside of the hat, said mounting studs being sized with respect to the diameter of the chin strap holes so that the mounting studs engage the walls of the holes when passed therethrough, said mid-portion securing means defining an elongate slot in which the hat visor is received so as to afford a degree of longitudinal movement of said face shield relative said hat in order to position said studs in alignment with respective said chin strap holes.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said face shield is formed of material that possesses resilience and tends to assume a flat position so that the resilience biases said mounting studs into the respective chin strap holes.
 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said mounting studs are formed by male snap fasteners. 